As Nebraska Innovation Campus has grown out of the former State Fairgrounds, bringing with it classrooms, startup companies spun out of research labs, and new places to hang or grab a bite to eat, one piece has remained missing.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s research park, which opened in 2015, has been without a U.S. Department of Agriculture research laboratory that was once envisioned as a cornerstone of the public-private partnership in the heart of the campus. Locating an Agricultural Research Service facility in Lincoln is no longer an elusive goal, however.
Beginning next year, construction will begin on the National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture, a $160 million USDA laboratory expected to double the federal agency’s science and support staff presence at UNL.
The first phase of construction, slated to start sometime in mid-2024, will build 15,000 square feet of new greenhouses and 10,000 square feet of headhouse space that connects with the existing Greenhouse Innovation Center.
Read more at journalstar.com